If you have done any remodeling in the past you have likely experienced dust like you never thought possible. How did Great Aunt Betty’s fine china in the Dining Room get covered in dust when we are remodeling the Master Bathroom? Great question!
There will always be dust during a remodeling project, that we can’t deny. The real question you want to ask your builder is “How do you intend to manage it?”
We are currently doing a large scale remodel for a client local to our office and I have never been in a cleaner house. I am pretty sure I spotted the husband actually cleaning during our Pre-Construction Meeting! The floors are all new, the house freshly painted, new furniture throughout, recently purchased art from a family vacation and not a spec of dust in sight. All I could think to myself is “how on Earth are we going to keep this place spotless when we are gutting the Master Bathroom, two Hall Bathrooms, Laundry Room, Powder Room and Kitchen?”
The answer was pretty simple: time and patience. We put three men on site for Day 1 with the sole intention of prepping the site for work. We began by laying rosin paper on all floors that we could potentially walk on and taping all of the seams. We then laid 1/4″ Masonite sheets over the rosin paper and taped all of those seams. We wrapped all railings in bubble wrap and constructed temporary plastic walls with zipper doors to protect finished spaces we are not working in.
This work may have taken three men 8 hours but it is the only way to make sure our clients are not sick of us after week one. You can execute top quality finished products but if your clients are cleaning on Saturday and Sunday, that is the story they will be telling at the next cocktail party.
The next time you are considering a remodel, make sure you think about things other than the project; think about how your life will be affected and be sure to select a builder who keeps that in mind on a daily basis.
Christopher Lux has spent the last 15 years in the residential remodeling industry and is a Design Build Consultant with Harth Builders in Spring House, PA. Chris is available for in home consultations as well as speaking engagements by calling 215-654-0364.
